Balanced IPA from Lost Coast Brewing
Nov 15 '05
The Bottom Line This is a very good IPA with citrus flavors balanced by a malty backbone.
California is home to many fine craft breweries and the pale ale and India pale ale that come out of the Golden State are often known for their fruity, citrus- like qualities. Most brewers in California are influenced by Cascade hops and the fruitiness these hops impart is a signature element of California ales. Such is the case with this beer, Lost Coast Indica India Pale Ale, a medium- bodied version of the style.
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
This beer is orange/tan in color and it has no problem producing a frothy head of foam, even with a weak pour. The foam has a light brown tint and a distinctly citrus, pine, and floral- like aroma. It leaves lace on your glass as you consume.
Tasting this beer awakens the senses, with a good malt backbone that starts the process off with a caramel- like, toasted malt flavor. Then, the hops take over, providing a taste sensation that combines grapefruit and other citrus with some earthy notes. The finish is crisp and the aftertaste of citrus lingers for a good long time after you finish.
Lost Coast brews this beer using pale and caramel malts, along with Cascade, Columbus, and Centennial hops. The alcohol level stands at 6.5 percent by volume and the beer has a bitterness rating of 57 IBU.
Food Compatibility:
This beer would taste best with any food that combines fruit and meat. It would make a great choice of beverages for a Chinese meal of sweet and sour pork or sweet and sour chicken. Orange chicken would make another good choice, and so would lemon chicken or fish. Like I said, any dish that combines meat and fruit would taste great with this beer.
Final Thoughts:
Lost Coast Brewery is one of the many breweries I have been rediscovering as of late. When I say “rediscover”, I am referring to my re- tasting of this brewer’s products after a hiatus of several years. I originally tried Lost Coast beer back in the late 1990’s at a beer festival. I didn’t have access to purchase this company’s products where I was living at the time, so I gradually lost interest in this brewery.
Today, in 2005, I find myself sampling Lost Coast Brewing products all over again. Indica IPA is one beer I tried before, but if I’m not mistaken, I think Lost Coast changed the recipe a little bit because it doesn’t taste the way it did back then (according to some of the notes I took when I first tried it). It seems more citrus- like today and more perfumy. It is still good- tasting like before, only in a different way.
What I like about this beer is that it offers a moderately hoppy taste, with plenty of great- tasting Cascade, Centennial, and Columbus hops to whet your whistle. But it doesn’t go to extremes like some of the other California IPA are known to do. It still maintains a nice, firm hop body that helps to balance out the taste.
With its medium body and moderate bitterness rating of 57 IBU (moderate, that is, when compared to other IPA), this product makes a good session beer. Most will appreciate its balanced qualities that stimulate different taste buds on the way down. It isn’t extremely bitter like some, and it offers a good citrus taste that lingers after you finish drinking.
Lost Coast Indica India Pale Ale is a nice example of the style. I don’t feel it is quite good enough to rate as a classic, but I still recommend this beer to anyone who enjoys the taste of Cascade, Centennial, and Columbus hops. It makes for a very good brew that earns a rating of 4 stars out 5.
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